Brighter Than the Stars: A Voltron Fanfic (Keith X OC)

Chapter 4

There was a flash of light, and Violet's fall stopped. She was in the black lion, no longer plummeting to instant death. Keith was beside her, still holding her hand, Shiro lying next to them.

"Are we dead?" Violet groaned. "Is this hell?" She sat up, wincing at the pain in her shoulder. It stung, but she'd be able to move around once the blood flow stopped.

"Shiro..." Keith felt Shiro's pulse and slumped with relief. "He's alive."

"For now," Violet said. "We need to get back to the others."

Keith nodded, standing as well. They went to the cockpit, flying from the planetoid. "How far did the wormhole transport us?" Violet asked. Keith typed in a few coordinates on his keyboard, and he blinked in surprise. "Almost halfway across the galaxy."

"We need to get back. Can you make contact with Allura?"

"I'll try." After a second, the princess' face appeared, along with the other paladins'. "Keith? Are Vi and Shiro with you?"

"I'm here," said Violet. "Shiro is too. I think. He might be a clone. And he's down a limb. Also there's a small chance he's evil. But he's fine. Mostly."

"Thank you, Violet," Lance muttered sarcastically. "Lotor is getting really impatient. He says he wants to enter the rift - now."

Violet rolled her eyes. "Tell him to hold on. I'll be there soon."

The black lion arrived back at the castle. Keith left to check on Romelle and Krolia. Lotor met Violet in the hangar. "We must go now," he said urgently. "I do not mean to pressure you, Violet, but I cannot put this off any longer."

"It's alright," Violet replied. "We can enter the rift now."

He relaxed. "Thank you."

They got into the trans-reality ship, informing the others of where they were going. "Scanning systems," Lotor began. "Is everything operational?"

"Affirmative," Violet replied. "Let's do this."

The ship began to power up. Violet felt her skin prickle. She grabbed her controls and guided the trans-reality ship out of the hangar to the reality rift on planet Daibazaal, where Honerva's work had begun.

"Brace yourself," Lotor warned, and the ship flew into the rift.

Violet scrunched her eyes closed, and when she opened them, she gasped. They were surrounded by silver light in a void, with individual bits of energy like bubbles floating around. It was beautiful. "It's pure quintessence," Violet breathed.

"We are discovering more about life science than any other alchemist before us," said Lotor. "I'm extracting a sample. This mission was a success."

"We shouldn't stay long in the rift," Violet added. "Too much exposure to the raw energy could have catastrophic side effects."

"But we can't just leave," said Lotor. "Violet - I realize now that letting you go was a terrible decision. I want you to rejoin me."

Violet blinked. "What?"

"You're more powerful than I ever could have imagined." His eyes shone. "With you by my side again, we could do anything. You are wasting your potential fighting with Voltron - sitting there, shouting orders, cleaning up after them. Come back to me. You won't have to kill anyone - there will be no more reason for that. You can return to Acxa and the others and help me distribute quintessence around the empire. Your mission with Voltron will be complete."

Violet couldn't be hearing him right. "Mission? What mission? I left you."

Lotor shook his head. "I will tell you everything now, if you agree to join me. This is the truth: I got word of the blue lion - and Voltron - being sighted on Earth. You knew the planet; it once was your home. I sent you on a mission to infiltrate Voltron and gather intelligence - which you did.